1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to devices used for alleviating pain in the body and more particularly to the use of electrical current, optical radiation, and myofascial tissue pressure for the reduction of pain.
2. State of the Art
Methods for reducing pain in the body are in constant demand. Pain in the body can be acute or chronic as a result of injury, disease, surgery, physical overexertion, or often of unknown origin. Common treatments for pain can include physical therapy, surgery, or drugs. Drugs mask or block the feeling of pain and allow the person to function pain-free. Aspirin and other pain-relief drugs are a common source of relief of pain. If the pain cannot be relieved through the use of over-the-counter drugs, the person experiencing the pain can resort to prescribed stronger drugs. Other medical treatments which can be used to alleviate pain by masking or blocking the pain signal include treatments such as epidurals, nerve blocks, trigger point injections, and nerve ablations. Pain relief drugs and pain-blocking surgery may or may not be effective and are not preferred solutions due to the fact that they do not eliminate the pain but instead block or mask the pain signal. The bodily condition which is the source of the pain remains unchanged even though the pain may have been relieved.
If the source of the sense of pain can be identified and is correctable by surgery, then surgical relief can be used to fix the problem and relieve the pain. In many cases, however, the source of pain cannot be fixed by surgery or cannot be identified at all. Surgery itself has its risks and is not a preferred treatment for pain if other treatments are available.
Various types of physical therapy have been developed in an attempt to eliminate pain in the body. Physical therapy is preferred by some individuals because it does not necessarily involve the use of drugs, is non-surgical, and does not block the pain signal but instead tries to help the body heal itself and fix the tissue generating the pain, which results in a reduction or elimination of the pain. Physical therapy has many forms, depending on the type and placement of the pain, but can include exercise, stretching, heat or cold therapy, and muscle massage. It is believed by some that delivering transcutaneous energy in the form of optical radiation or electrical current may have therapeutic benefits to the body, particularly to alleviate pain. In addition, myofascial tissue release therapy, which is a method of soft tissue massage which acts on the fascia, a web in the body which interconnects muscles, tissues, and organs, may help reduce musculo-skeletal pain. These types of therapy are usually administered separately, often by a doctor or therapist. Thus while these techniques are safe and suitable for home use and administration the need of a specialist often renders home application impractical or unaffordable. Further, successful results often depend upon frequent treatments. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a device for administering these types of therapy at home without the need for a specialist. It is also desirable to have a single device which can provide all of these types of therapy in one device.
Hence a novel device is described which can provide multiple forms of pain relief therapy in a single device, especially microcurrent electrostimulation therapy, optical radiation therapy, and myofascial tissue release therapy. This device can be used by a doctor, a therapist, or the individual desiring treatment, at a treatment center or at home. A method of using the device is described which provides pain relief benefits from multiple types of therapy.